Drinking Expectancy Sexual Vulnerabilities Questionnaire (DESV-Q)
Drinking Expectancy Sexual Vulnerabilities Questionnaire (DESV-Q)
The Drinking Expectancy Sexual Vulnerabilities Questionnaire (DESV-Q) is a 22-item self-report measure about the believed effects of drinking alcohol on sexual vulnerability for oneself, men, and women. Items are separated into five domains: Sexual Coercion, Sexual Vulnerability, Confidence, Self-Centeredness, and Negative Cognitive and Behavioral Changes. The scale captures whether alcohol makes one sexually aggressive or increases the likelihood of sexual victimization.
High Psychometric Score
ITEMS:
Drinking alcohol makes [me/men/women]...
Sexual Coercion
1. likely to be forceful to get sex
2. likely to be persuasive if my/their partner says no to sex
3. it hard for me/men/women to stop myself/themselves when my/their partner doesn't want to have sex
Sexual Vulnerability
4. it difficult for me/men/women to say no to sex in a clear and consistent ways
5. likely to have sex against my/their will
6. at risk of being forced into sex
7. feel confident when I'm/they're around others
Confidence
8. sure of myself/themselves in social situations
9. feel comfortable to talk to people that I/they don't know
10. sure of myself/themselves when meeting new people
11. put my/their own needs before others'
Self-Centeredness
12. care about my/their own feelings more than others'
13. care about myself/themselves more than others
14. it hard for me/men/women to make good decisions
Negative Cognitive and Behavioral Changes
15. act like I'm/they're a different person
16. see a side of myself/themselves that I/they don't normally see
17. forget about how hurtful a word or an action could be
18. it difficult for me/men/women to realize when I've/they've done something wrong
19. it hard for me/men/women to understand right from wrong
20. forget about what I/they need to do to stay safe
21. do things I/they later regret
22. put myself/themselves in risky situations
Response Options:
A 5-point Likert scale from 1 "Strongly disagree" to 5 "Strongly agree"
PSYCHOMETRIC SCORE
GEOGRAPHIES TESTED:
POPULATIONS INCLUDED:
Female
Male
AGE RANGE:
Adolescents
Adults
Scoring Procedures:
Not Available
PRIMARY CITATION:
Starfelt, L. C., Young, R. M., White, K. M., & Palk, G. (2016). Development and preliminary validation of the Drinking Expectancy Sexual Vulnerabilities Questionnaire (DESV-Q): a purpose-specific instrument for rape-perception research. Substance Use & Misuse, 51(3), 330-342. DOI: 10.3109/10826084.2015.1110168
Psychometric Score:
Qualitative Research
Existing Literature/Theoretical Framework
Field Expert Input
Cognitive Interviews / Pilot Testing
Internal
Test-retest
Interrater
Content
Face
Criterion (gold-standard)
Construct
Psychometric Scoring
Total Score: 6.50/8 Points (HIGH)
Citation Frequency
KEY
FULL POINTS
PARTIAL POINTS NOT ASSESSED NOT APPLICABLEFor more details, see Scoring Methodology
